The Northwest Illinois Grazing Conference is planned for Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at Holy Cross Church, Stockton, IL. The conference will run from 9:45 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The Northwestern Illinois Grazing Conference is an excellent workshop opportunity for livestock producers and others to fine-tune their knowledge about grazing through hearing from several successful beef, sheep and dairy graziers who have incorporated managed grazing in their operations. Given the rising cost of farm inputs, grazing may make greater sense in managing today's farm expenses.

Early registration fee, which includes workshop materials, is $20 if received by December 1. For late registrations and walk-ins, the fee increases to $30 per person. See the enclosed flyer for more information and a registration form. On-line registration can also be done via the Jo-Carroll Unit website at http://jdc.extension.uiuc.edu which offers a credit card payment option.

The Illinois Pesticide Act requires individual farmers to become certified as a Private Pesticide Applicator in order to purchase and use restricted use pesticides (RUPs). These products will clearly state the words "Restricted Use Pesticide" on the label. Common examples include the insecticides Counter, Force, and Pounce, and the herbicides Atrazine, Gramoxone Max, and Harness.

To become certified, you must pass a closed-book, 50 question examination administered by representatives of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA). Once passed, a three-year certification license will be issued by the IDA upon receipt of a $20 licensing fee. To help you prepare for the examination, the University of Illinois Extension offers Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) clinics as well as a training manual and workbook that can be purchased at area Extension offices. The manual was revised in 1999, and the workbook was revised in 2005. Use the manual as a reference to complete the workbook before attending a clinic.

The University of Illinois Extension-Jo Carroll Unit will host two pesticide safety education program clinics this winter. The first will be held at the Elizabeth Community Building on Friday, December 11. The second will be at the Carroll County Farm Bureau Building in Mt. Carroll on Tuesday January 12. The clinic training fee is $30 and pre-registration is requested. The clinics will run from 9 a.m. to noon and will be followed by a test that will be administered by the IDA. For more information or to register for the clinics, call University of Illinois Extension-Jo Daviess County at (815) 858-2273 or Carroll County at (815) 244-9444 or register online at http://jdc.extension.uiuc.edu where credit card payment is also accepted.

December 10	Oregon-Ogle County Farm Bureau	Contact:815-732-2191
December 11	Elizabeth-Elizabeth Community Building	Contact:815-858-2273
January 12	Mt. Carroll-Carroll County Farm Bureau Building	Contact:815-244-9444
February 11	Lena- Lena Community Building	Contact:815-235-4125
March 12	Lena- Lena Community Building	Contact:815-235-4125

An opportunity for dairy producers to capitalize on the latest dairy information close to home is the focus of University of Illinois Extension's 2010 Dairy Days program.

"Profit Potential" is the theme for the 2010 Illinois Dairy Days, a program scheduled for nine locations throughout the state in January. "The dairy business continues to face challenging times," said Dave Fischer, University of Illinois Extension dairy educator. "To help producers make correct management decisions, it is vital to have the latest information at hand. That is the driving idea behind this one-day program--to help producers make the most of their resources and remain a productive part of the dairy industry."

The U of I Extension Dairy Day speaker team includes Mike Hutjens, Dave Fischer, Jim Endress, and Dick Wallace, DVM. Topics to be covered include: feeding challenges with today's low milk prices; optimizing forages in the lactation ration; analyzing your dairy farm financial picture; improving profits with milk quality; looking ahead in the dairy industry; reducing feed shrinkage; farm regulations decision making; and managing an efficient reproduction synchronization program.

Dairy Days will be held in Elizabeth at the Community Building on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. The program begins at 9:45 a.m. and concludes at approximately 2:30 p.m. Commercial displays will be available. For information about registration and fees, contact the Jo Daviess Extension Office at 815-858-2273.

The same program will be held in Freeport at Highland Community College in the Student Conference Center (building H) on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. Joining U of I Extension in sponsoring the program is the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Alfalfa production and harvesting strategies will highlight the 2010 Alfalfa Workshop-Positioning for Success hosted by University of Illinois Extension on February 8. The program is from 9:25 am to 12:15 pm and will be delivered via teleconference at the Jo Daviess County Extension office in Elizabeth. Registration begins at 9:00 am.

Neal Martin, forage agronomist at the US Dairy Forage Research Center at Madison, Wisconsin will discuss "What New Developments in Forages Mean to Producers". "Harvesting Biomass Crops" will be presented by Kevin Shinners, University of Wisconsin agriculture engineer.

Keith Johnson, Extension forage specialist, Purdue University, will share "Tips for Successful Stand Establishment"; and Jim Endress, University of Illinois Extension educator, farm management, will answer the question "Who Should Harvest my Alfalfa-a Custom Operator or Me?" Participants will view color slides used in the presentations and can interact with the speakers. Handout materials will be available.

Continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers have been requested. The program is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension.

For registration fee, contact the Jo Daviess Extension office, 815-858-2273.

The future of Soil and Water management in agronomic settings will be the focus of a Soil and Water Management Workshop sponsored by University of Illinois Extension on February 10. The workshop will be held at the Mt. Carroll and Elizabeth Extension offices. Presentations will be delivered via PowerPoint and teleconference from 9 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

"Those attending will learn about Cap and Trade issues, water and water quality issues, cover crops, and practical information on soil and water management," says Duane Friend, U of I Extension natural resources educator. "And, Certified Crop Advisors can get 4.5 continuing education units in soil and water management." Other topics covered will be biochar, new conservation tillage tools, and the Web Soil Survey.

Registration is $45 per person, which includes lunch. The registration deadline is February 5. To register phone 815-244-9444 to attend in Mt. Carroll or 815-858-2273 to attend in Elizabeth. If dietary or disability accommodations are needed, please indicate when registering.

Dec 8	9:00-3:00	Northwest Grazing Conference	U of I Jo Daviess County 815-858-2273	Stockton– Holy Cross Church
Dec 9 &10	6:30-9:30pm	QUICKBOOKS for Home & Farm	U of I Lee County 815-857-3525	Amboy-Lee County Extension Office
Dec 10	9:00 a.m.	PSEP Training & Testing	U of I Ogle County 815-732-2191	Oregon-Ogle County Farm Bureau Building
Dec 11	9:00 a.m.	PSEP Training & Testing	U of I Jo Daviess County 815-858-2273	Elizabeth– Community Building
Dec 17	8:00-3:00pm	IL Farm Economic Summit	Sue Esposito/217-333-5506	Rochelle-Hickory Grove Conference Center
Jan 6-7	9:00-5:00	Northern Illinois Farm Show	Todd Benz 800-827-8007, Ext.3318	Dekalb-NIU Convocation Center
Jan 7	1:00-4:00	Wind Energy 101	U of I Stephenson County 815-235-4125	Freeport– Public Library
Jan 12	9:00 a.m.	PSEP Training & Testing	U of I Carroll County 815-244-9444	Mt. Carroll-Carroll County Farm Bureau Building
Jan 15	9:00-3:30	Master Gardener Training Starts	U of I Lee County 815-857-3525	Dixon– Loveland Community Building
Jan 19	9:45-2:30	Dairy Days Workshop	U of I Jo Daviess County 815-858-2273	Elizabeth– Community Building
Jan 20	9:45-2:30	Dairy Days Workshop	U of I Stephenson County 815-235-4125	Freeport-Highland Community College
Feb 8	9:00-12:30	Alfalfa Telenet Workshop	U of I Jo Daviess County 815-858-2273	Elizabeth- Extension Meeting Room
Feb 10	9:00-2:30	Soil & Water Telenet Workshop	U of I Jo-Carroll 815-244-9444 or 815-858-2273	Mt. Carroll & Elizabeth- Extension Meeting Rooms
Feb 11	9:00 a.m.	PSEP Training & Testing	U of I Stephenson County 815-235-4125	Lena-Community Center
Feb 23	1:00 p.m.	Ferns in the Landscape Telenet	U of I Jo-Carroll 815-244-9444 or 815-858-2273	Mt. Carroll & Elizabeth- Extension Meeting Rooms
Feb 25	7:00 p.m.	Ferns in the Landscape Telenet	U of I Carroll County 815-244-9444	Mt. Carroll - Extension Meeting Room
March 9	1:00 p.m.	The Elusive Morel Telenet	U of I Jo-Carroll 815-244-9444 or 815-858-2273	Mt. Carroll & Elizabeth- Extension Meeting Rooms
March 11	7:00 p.m.	The Elusive Morel Telenet	U of I Carroll County 815-244-9444	Mt. Carroll - Extension Meeting Room
March 12	9:00 a.m.	PSEP Training & Testing	U of I Stephenson County 815-235-4125	Lena-Community Center